The internet is full of fabulous facts about everything from current events to the history basket weaving and escargot fun facts. As we research for our daily content on food trucks, food carts and street food, we stumble upon some items of knowledge that we just did not know.
We have decided when these fun facts pop up, that we would share them with our readers in our section titled “Did You Know?”
For today’s Did You Know we will look at Escargot fun facts.
Escargot Fun Facts: Escargot is an edible snail, especially one prepared as an appetizer or entree.
- It is believed that snails for eating were brought to the United States (California) in the 1850’s.
- The French consume 40,000 metric tons of snails each year.
- May 24th is National Escargot Day.
- Heliculture is the science of growing snails for food.
- Snails have been eaten as food since at least ancient Roman times. Apicius, the author of the oldest surviving cookbook (1st century B.C – 2 century A.D.) has a recipe for snails in his cookbook.
- Snails are almost blind, and they don’t have any aural systems meaning that they can’t hear anything.
- American restaurants serve about 1 billion snails annually.
- Like most molluscs, escargot is high in protein and low in fat content (if cooked without butter). It is estimated that escargot is 15% protein, 2.4% fat and about 80% water.
- Even the lazy sloth and the lumbering tortoise have nothing on the snail’s complete lack of speed. Some snails clock in at 0.0004 miles an hour.
- Research has shown that some snail slime can be used to treat stomach ulcers.
Escargot Fun Facts We May Have Missed
Let us know about any escargot fun facts we missed. We always love to add to these lists. If we can verify that the facts is just that, a fact, we will give the reader credit in the article.
Reference: Fun Facts about Escargot
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